Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman made his return to the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox. Bregman showed no signs of rust following a five-game absence due to elbow inflammation. He made some noise early on by taking starting pitcher Cooper Criswell deep in the first inning. It was his lone hit of the day but also his 20th home run of the season. Bregman served as the designated hitter on Wednesday, but he should shift back to third base soon. He's hitting .261 with 20 home runs and 60 RBI in 116 games this season. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable getting Bregman right back into their lineups.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander made his return to the mound against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. The 41-year-old looked sharp on the mound considering he has been sidelined the last two and a half months due to a neck issue. Verlander struck out six batters while allowing four hits and two runs over six innings of work. That is an extremely nice outing for a pitcher that hasn't thrown in a big league game since early June. The right-hander still appears to have something left in the tank. He'll take a 3.92 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 57/18 K/BB ratio into his next matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies. Fantasy managers looking for pitching help should check to see if Verlander is available.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor continued his hot second half of the season during Wednesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. The 30-year-old went deep in the third inning off southpaw Cole Irvin for his 25th home run of the season. Lindor has now hit 25 long balls or more in six of the last seven full seasons. Lindor started off slow out of the gate, but he has heated up over the last month or two. He's hitting .304 with eight homers, 21 RBI, and seven stolen bases since the All-Star break. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Lindor in their lineup on a daily basis.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (knee) has been scratched from Wednesday's lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre due to a knee sprain. Will Benson draws into the starting lineup in right field and will hit eighth in place of Fraley against Blue Jays rookie right-hander Yariel Rodriguez. Fraley, who has missed time with various injuries throughout the year, could need another trip to the injured list, depending on the severity of his knee sprain. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has been a batting average (.271) and speed (16 stolen bases) contributor for fantasy managers in deeper leagues in 2024, but he lacks power (three homers) and has only driven in 23 runs in 92 games. Benson, who also hits from the left side, could gain more playing time if Fraley lands on the IL again. The 26-year-old has decent power and speed for a platoon guy with 12 homers and 14 steals despite hitting .191 (12-for-57).

Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford came up clutch for his team during Wednesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The rookie outfielder smacked a line-drive walk-off single against right-hander David Bedner to break the scoreless tie. Langford also singled and stolen a base earlier in the contest. The 22-year-old was slow out of the gate, but has collected eight hits over the last week. His full season numbers aren't great, but fantasy managers looking for an extra boost should look towards Langford while he's hot at the plate.